Nearly 53 years after its founding in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Domino's Pizza opened its 10,000th store and celebrated the milestone in Turkey, one of the fastest-growing markets for the recognized world leader in pizza delivery.

One day after opening its 9,999th store, located in Carlsbad, California, Domino's Pizza opened its milestone store in Kaligthane, a district within the city of Istanbul, in an event attended by Domino's president and CEO, J. Patrick Doyle.

"The extraordinary efforts of many people over many years have led us to this exciting milestone for everyone associated with Domino's Pizza," Doyle says. "There have been several ups and downs over the past half-century. Those challenges were met and overcome by our passionate franchisees and leadership who refused to give up. Our goal was to reach 10,000 stores and to use this milestone as a foundation for even greater growth. That milestone has finally arrived and we're thrilled. Tomorrow, we'll be looking for more."

Richard Allison, Domino's executive vice president, international, says,"The launching pad for Domino's Pizza was clearly the U.S., but our international operation has been the accelerant for growth in the past decade.

“Pioneering markets such as Australia, Mexico, India, the United Kingdom—all markets where Domino's is No. 1 in market share—helped pave the way for the rest of the world,” he continues. “Thanks to our pioneers, today franchise partners like Fides, which now has over 250 stores in Turkey, can grow to become their market's leader in a relatively short time."

Domino's international store count eclipsed its U.S. store count earlier this year, and now also accounts for more than half of annual global retail sales, which are close to $7 billion.

Domino's Pizza in Turkey is owned and operated by Fides, a private equity company, and operated by Aslan Saranga, the brand's general manager.

During the celebration week, Domino's Pizza will be giving away 10,000 pizzas free to its Turkish Facebook fans, and will be offering a 50 percent discount off the menu price for all online orders.

The store features the "Pizza Theater" design introduced this summer in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand. The store design puts the art and skill of pizza making at the front of the store, visible to all customers. The design was created by Chute Gerdeman, an award-winning design firm based in Columbus, Ohio.